brown



2 sheets-sheet 1-..

No. 534,387. Patented Feb. 19,1895.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

D. L. BROWN.

. MEASURE FDR DRAPTING DRESS SKIRTS. No. 534,387.

Patented Feb. 19, 11895.

."g Iii yIO UNrTnDSTATES] PATENT DANIEL L. BROWN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

MEASURE FOR DRAFTING DRESS-SKIRTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 534,38*?,dated February 19, 1895; Application mea May 7,1894. serai No. 510,358. N0 nudeln T0 @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL L. BROWN, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of NewYork, have invented a new and useful Measure for Drafting Dress-Skirts, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a device for laying off dress skirts according to the actual measurements adapted to be taken in the ordinary way by means of a tape-line; and it has for its object to provide a simple and efficient adj ustable device upon which the measurements after being taken maybe applied to produce a complete skirt pattern in accordance with the desired style and shape.

' The invention is more fully described hereinafter in connection with the drawings, and the novel features thereof are particularly, pointedout in the appended claims.

In the drawings:-Figure 1 is a plan View of the front form. Fig. 2 is a similar View of the side and back form. Fig. 3 is a detail view showing the means for adjusting the members of the templets. y Fig. 4 is a similar view showing slightly modified means for adjustment. Fig. 5 is a detail side view of the modified form of clamp shown in Fig. 4.. Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view of one of the pivotal connections between the adjoining templets. Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view of the clamp for connecting the upper end of one of the side templets t0 the waist templet.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures ofthe drawings. v

The measure comprises two preferably separate parts' which, however, are capable of being combined in a single form, as will be understood when the nature of the invention has been fully explained, and said separate parts or members are shown respectively in Figs. l and 2. The part or member which I have termed a form, shown in Fig. 1,is adapted for laying od the front of a dress-skirt, and the part or member also termed a form, which is shown in Fig. 2, is designed for laying off the side and back of a skirt.

In order to provide for adjusting the forms to suit the required measurements, the front form, shown in Fig. 1, is provided with a waist templet A provided with graduations in inches, a front center or fold-line templet B, a bottom templet C, and a side seam or gore templet D. Each of these templets, except templet A, comprises relatively adjustable parts or members having scales or graduations indicating inchesand fractions thereof, and provided with clamping or fastening devices, whereby said parts or members may be locked at any desired extension to suit the measurement obtained by means of a tapeline or other similar device. The templet A is pivotally connected at one end to the upper extremity of the member b of the front center or fold-line templet, whereby the angle between the parts A and B may be adjusted to suitthe shape of the person for whom the dress is designed, and the lower part or member b of said tem plet B is pivotally connected to the adjacent extremity ofthe part or member c of the bottom templet C. In the same way the part or member c of the bottom templet is pivotally connected to the lower member d of the side seam or gore templet, and the upper member df of said side seam or gore templet is connectedby means of a clamp E to the waist templet A. The clamp E consists of a pin c held in place by ears e and a small cam-lever e which is fulcrumed upon said pin and is adapted when depressed to bear against the surface of the templet A and press the same firmly in Contact with the surface of the part CZ of the templet D. The other clamps F which are employed for locking the parts or members ofthe templets at the desired adj ustment are constructed as above described, the only difference being that said clamps F are disposed transversely to the parts or members by which they are carried, whereas the clamp E is disposed parallel with therlength of the templet D by which it is carried, in order that it may slide freelyv upon the templet A and allow relative angular adjustment of the templets A andD. The pivots by which the parts A B, B C, and C D are connected preferably consist of threaded pins G carried by one of the templets at each joint and extend- *ing through a perforation gin the other templet, the projecting end of the pin being engaged by a thumb-nut g.

The form illustrated in Fig. 2 and above mentioned as the side and back form, comprises a curved waist templet A', a back IOO center templet B', a curved bottom templet C', and a side seam or gore templet D', each of which, withthe exception ot' the waist templet, being extensible and comprising relatively adjustable parts or members, as above Vdescribed in connection with the templets forming the front form. Inasmuch as the construction of each of the templets in the side and back form is the same as the templets forming the front form, a detailed description thereof is unnecessary. The back center templet is connected at its upper end with the waist templet by means of a clamp E', which is similar in construction to the clamp E. The upper end of the side seam or gore templet D is pivotally connected to the adjacent end of the waist templet; the front end of the bottom templet C is pivotally connected to the lower end of the side seam or gore templet D; and the lower end of the back center templet is pivotally connected to the rear end of the bottom templet C.

From the above description it will be nnderstood that in order to lay off a dress pattern by means of the above device it is necessary to take the waist measure from the front seam to the hip and indicate the same upon the Waist templet of the front form by adjusting the clamp E to that measu re, and to take the measure of the waist from the front seam to the back seam in order to obtain the measurement from the hip to the back seam and lay olf the saine upon the waist templet ofthe side and back form. Having secured this measurement the length ofthe front from the waist is obtained and indicated upon the front center or fold-line templetof the front form, the length from the waist over the hip and to the bottom line of the skirt is obtained aud indicated upon the side seam or gore templet of both the front and the side and back forms,and the'length of the back from the waist to the lower edge of the skirt is obtained and indicated upon the back center templet of the side and back form. Having obtained these measurements the bottom templets of the front and side and back forms may be adjusted to secure the necessary width or fulness of skirt according to the number of widths desired, and after locking the several parts or members of the templets at the desired adjustment a complete pattern of one -half of the skirt from the front center line to the back center line is secured.

It will be understood that instead of making the forms for the front and the side and back separate as above described, they may be combined on the line of the templets D D', inasmuch as the measurements indicated by these templets form one and the same, but I have found it more convenient in operation to construct the formsas above described.

The modified form ot' clamp shown in Fig. 4 comprises a yoke or bracket H, in which is threaded a clamping-screw I provided at its its lower end with a head K having a terminal cushion or compressible face L of cork, leather, or similar material to bear upon the uppersurface of the part or member of the templet which extends loosely through the yoke, said yoke being iixed to the under part or member of the templet.

It will be understood that various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

Having described my invention, what I claim is l. A quadrilateral measure, for drafting dress skirts, consisting of spaced side templets disposed .in oblique planes with respect to each other, the bottom templet having its extremities pivotally connected to the lower extremities ot' said side templets, a waist templet pivotally connected at one extremity to the upper extremityot' one of the side templets, and a slidable clamp between the upper extremity of the other side templet and the waist templet, substantially as set forth.

2. In a measure for drafting dress skirts, a side and back form consisting of a curved waist templet, a straight extensible side seam or gore templet pivoted at its upper extremity to the upper extremity of the waist templet, an extensible curved bottom templet pivoted at its front extremity to the lower extremity of the side seam or gore templet, and a straight extensible back center templet pivoted at its lower extremity to the rear extrem. ityot' the curved bottom templet, and provided at its upper end with a clamp slidably engaging the waist templet, substantially as setforth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aiiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

DANIEL L. BROWN.

V'Vitnesses:

W. G. BROWNELLE, ALBERT C. KARMPF.

ICO 

